


Recompense

by cytheriafalas



Category: SHINee
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-06
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-17 21:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cytheriafalas/pseuds/cytheriafalas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt asking for something about Taemin being bulled in school. This is more about the rest of the boys trying to make him feel better. It's really short, but I hope you like it anyway! I'm not very good at this tense, so it doesn't flow quite as well as some of my others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Recompense

  
Minho hates how Taemin looks when he comes home from school. He looks exhausted, but they all do. They’re in the middle of promotions, so they can’t expect anything less, but Taemin’s worse than all of them. He looks _small_ when he stumbles through the door now; backpack slung over one shoulder, and walks straight to his bedroom to do what homework he can before the afternoon’s rehearsals start.

Most days the other four just exchange looks and let him go. Not today though. Today, Taemin’s eyes are red and unless Minho was mistaken, which he never is about things concerning Taemin, he has a bruise on his cheek. Minho follows him to the room they all share, slipping his foot in the doorway when Taemin tries to close it before he can follow.

“Not this time,” Minho says, pushing it open and forcing his way into the room. “Taemin-ah, what happened today?”

“Nothing,” Taemin says, dropping his backpack on his bunk and flopping face down next to it.

Minho sits on the edge of the bed and nudges at Taemin’s shoulder until he turns to face him. There is a bruise on his cheek, but it’s faint enough the cordis shouldn’t have any trouble covering it up. Minho briefly hates himself for thinking that, but he ignores it and instead focuses on running his fingers around the bruise.

Taemin flinches. “It’s nothing, hyung, really.”

“Taemin-ah, don’t lie to me.”

“I was thinking of our comeback and walking,” Taemin explains, “and ran into a doorway.”

“Uh-huh,” Minho deadpans. “I believe that. Totally.”

Taemin sighed and presses his cheek back into the pillow. “Hyung, everyone at school…”

“They’re jealous, Taeminnie. Jealous of your fame and that you get to do things they only dream about.”

“I know, but…”

“It doesn’t make it any easier,” Minho finishes. He understands. He does. It wasn’t so long ago that he was in school. It wasn’t even so long ago that Onew was in school. “Did you get in a fight?”

Taemin shakes his head. “No. I walked away. Some guy accused me of trying to steal his girlfriend.” He scoffs. “As if I have time for a girlfriend. And everyone knows she sleeps with pretty much anyone she can get her hands on.”

Minho can’t help the small laugh that bubbled up in his throat. “Let me get you some ice, okay? If we can keep the swelling down, nobody should even notice.”

Onew is waiting for him when he steps out of the bedroom, arms crossed over his chest. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. Upset, but fine. Hyung, we need to do something for him.”  
  
“I don’t know what we _can_ do, Minho-ah. We can try to get him into a new school, to make things easier for him, but until he graduates, he’s just going to have to deal.”

“It isn’t fair,” Minho says, running a hand through his hair. The managers say it’s his nervous gesture and that he needs to control it, but Minho doesn’t care right now. “He’s just a kid.”

“I know, and it’s good you’re looking out for him, but he’s going to have to grow up.”

“Can’t we do something?” Minho asks. “We don’t have schedules until midday tomorrow. Can’t we do something for him just this once?”

Onew’s lips twist and after a brief pause, he nods. “Okay. Distract him for a few hours and I’ll get the others to pick up some food. We should be able to sneak it in. _No alcohol_.”

On impulse, Minho throws his arms around Onew and hugs him tight. “Thank you, hyung!”

He spends the next two hours with Taemin, mostly annoying him while he tried to do his homework, but occasionally managing to properly conjugate a verb or two in English or Japanese. Despite the distraction, the boy seems grateful for the company.

At five-fifteen, Jonghyun throws the door open and literally lifts Taemin from his bed. Taemin only has time to make a surprised sound before Jonghyun is propelling him through the door and Kibum is sweeping Taemin into the living room. Minho follows more slowly, hands in his pockets.

There’s a spread laid out in front of them, cake and junk food and meat and more food than they should ever be allowed during comebacks, and Minho just _knows_ they’re going to get in so much trouble if the manager ever finds out.

But it’s worth it to see the smile on Taemin’s face. He’s grinning, hugging every one of them. He hugs them all again when Onew tells him that it’s for him, and he hugs Minho a third time when they confess it was Minho’s idea.

“Why?” Taemin asks, looking up at him.

“You look like you needed it,” Minho says, ruffling his hair. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Taemin says, grinning and hugging him a fourth time. “Thank you!”

Minho gives him a gentle push toward the food. “Go on. Start eating so we can.”

With one last beaming smile, Taemin dug in. After a moment, the other four follow, fighting playfully for the best of the food. Taemin’s smile stays on his face the whole time and Minho decides, yeah, it’s worth whatever trouble they get into, just to see him so happy.


End file.
